A serious case of the blues: Annual Onset Blues Festival is Saturday

One of the oldest blues festivals in New England will take the stage in Onset at the Bandshell Saturday, Aug. 2, from noon to 9 p.m.

Caitlin Flahertycflaherty@wickedlocal.com

Ready to boogie?

One of the oldest blues festivals in New England will take the stage in Onset at the Bandshell Saturday, Aug. 2, from noon to 9 p.m.

The 22nd annual Onset Blues Festival will feature some top blues performers, as well as about 40 merchandise vendors and a food court, organizers said.

“It’s a great event with a good price,” Bill Lockwood, chairman of the Onset Blues Festival Committee, said. “For $20 it’s one of the best values for a concert. Where else can you see six bands for that price?”

The money raised during the festival will go to support the Onset Bay Association, an organization that hosts events throughout the year including the Easter egg hunt as well as Halloween and Christmas festivities.

Last year the festival also donated $500 to the Wareham High School music program, and Lockwood said organizers plan to do the same this year.

“We like to support arts in the community and that is one thing in the school department that takes the first hit,” Lockwood said. “We think it’s important.”

Lockwood, who has been involved in the festival for 12 years, said he’s excited to bring the blues to Onset.

“It’s the mother of all other music in America,” Lockwood said. “It’s one of the only truly American forms of music and is the base for so many kinds of music whether you listen to rock ’n’ roll, R&B, soul, or hip hop. It’s one of the base, underlying music styles.”

Lockwood said the committee chose a diverse group of top-notch musicians for this year.

“We have a track record for bringing in good caliber performers and we would like to continue to do so,” he said.

Lloyd Thayer, who plays on the street or in the subway in and around Boston and Cambridge, will get the music started with a free pre-concert from 10:30 a.m. to noon in Onset’s Dudley Square.

Opening the festival proper at noon at the Bandshell will be Johnny Barnes & the Night Crawlers.

Barnes has performed in all of the famous nightclubs in greater Boston with many rock ’n’ roll legends, producing and releasing a dozen records. The group’s high-octane riffs get any audience going and begging for more, event organizers said.

Next up, the Fat City Band will perform its own unique style of blues, roadhouse rock, jazz, and New Orleans-style R&B.

A Martha’s Vineyard favorite, Johnny Hoy and the Bluefish, will follow.

Around 5:15, Rosemary’s Baby Blues, known for high-energy, rocking R&B and blues, will take the stage.

Rosemary Casey said she was excited to come back to play in Onset.

“It’s such a great place for a concert,” Casey said. “It’s right on the water. It’s beautiful. And, it’s family-friendly.”

Lockwood said he was just as happy to bring the popular group back.

“She stole the show in 2011,” he said. “We expect a great show out of her this year, as well.”

Topping off the festival will be Lil Ed and the Blue Imperials, a 21-year-old band that features a Chicago-style of blues.

Organizers said they hope to draw people from around the region to highlight the beautiful beaches and the number of shops and eateries in Onset Village.

“It’s right in the heart of the town,” Lockwood said. “If people want, they can go get something to eat or go right to the beach. Everything is right there.”

Tickets are $20 in advance, and are available online at www.onsetbluesfestival.com or at the Onset Bay Association office, 4 Union Ave., or at Lockwood Architects, 215 Onset Ave.